The 2013 NBA All-Star Game starters were officially announced Thursday evening, and you can count on seeing the usual suspends in uniform at tip-off.

LeBron? Check. Kobe? Yep. Carmelo and Durant? You bet.

See, there are players who remain popular for a reason: They're really, really good.

All-Star reserves will be filled in based on votes from NBA coaches, and, as always, there will be players who appeared deserving that don't make the cut.

But, as the clock ticks toward Feb. 17 in Houston, the day of the big game, we will be certain which players were awarded spots in the starting lineup.

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1

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East frontcourt: LeBron James, Miami Heat

Let's just make this deal: For as long as LBJ is in the league, he has a spot in the starting lineup. Seriously. His 26.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game don't come close to saying what he means to his team and the league at large.

2

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East frontcourt: Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Anthony has played MVP-caliber ball (29.3 ppg) in the season's first half, maturing into the type of player that not only is an All-Star starter but also a team leader—that whole KG and the bus thing notwithstanding.

3

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East frontcourt: Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

At 36, KG won't have many more chances to start in an All-Star Game. Are his numbers (14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds) electrifying? Nope, but fans recognize that he's deserving of what might be his last go-round.

4

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East backcourt: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Sure, he's not as athletic as he used to be, but he's still hitting more than half his shots from the floor (37 percent from beyond the 3-point arc), which is on a pace to be the best of his All-Star career.

5

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East backcourt: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

The lightning-rod guard has stepped up to carry a bigger load for the Celtics. He is a brilliant passer and playmaker (league-best 11.2 assists per game), though some say his defense hasn't been up to his usual standards—as if that matters in an All-Star Game.

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West frontcourt: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant's quest to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line for the season will intensify, but suffice it to say he's having the best season of his career and, scary as it may seem, he's getting better.

7

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West frontcourt: Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

Has Superman been super in Los Angeles this season? No. Does he lead the league in rebounding (12.6 per game)? Yes. And, most important, does he bring the kind of personality that fans love in their All-Stars? Absolutely.

8

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West frontcourt: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

It came down to Griffin vs. the Spurs Tim Duncan, who by most measurements is having a better defensive season. But the All-Star Game is about offense, and Griffin is having the better year at that end of the floor, averaging 17.7 points on 53.4 percent shooting despite fewer minutes this season.

9

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West backcourt: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

You could argue that Bryant is needing too many shots (almost 28) to score his 29.3 points per game, but you also know that he is one of the game's transcendent scorers. Another no-brainer pick.

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West backcourt: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Tops in the league in steals (2.9 per game) and second to Rondo in assists (9.7), Paul arguably is the first-half MVP. More important for this discussion: He's the perfect All-Star Game point guard.